Process and apparatus for producing molten glass



May 20, 1930. J. L. DRAKE ,2 PROCESS AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING MOLTENGLASS Filed July 23, 1927 Snow V601 ohn LDm/fg Patented May 20, 1930UNITED STATES PATENT o-FF ICE JOHN L. DRAKE, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOItTO IlIIBBEY-OWENS GLASS COMPANY, OF

. TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO PROCESS AND APPARATUS FORPRODUCING MOLTEN GLASS Application filed July 23, 1927. Serial No.207,868.

This invention relates to an improved proc ess and apparatus forproducing molten glass 'for the manufacture of glass articles.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a tank furnaceinstallation wherein the raw glass making materials fed thereto will bemore quickly and thoroughly fusedand amalgamated before the resultantmolten glass is permitted to pass to glass article forming apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide a tank furnaceinstallation of improved design whereby the capacity of existing tanksmay'be greatly increased and wherein this may be accomplished withoutmat-erialmodistallation wherein an auxiliary melting tank fication ofsaid existing tanks and at a comparatively'small cost. 1

A somewhat more specific object of the invention is the provision of atank furnace inis associated with the melting tank of a customary tankfurnace, molten glass being produced within the auxiliary melting tankand then causedto flow therefrom into the melting tank of thefurnace,-additional batch being added to the molten glass as it flowsfrom one tank into the other and means being preferably provided forpreheating .the additional batch added to the end that the glass 9makingv materials may be reduced to a molten state in a more rapid andeflicient manner than heretofore.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionwill become more apparentduring 35 the course-of the following description when taken inconnection with the accompanying cullet in said batch. I The cullet usedmay be either scrap glass gathered after the cutting operation .or itmay be especially made for this purpose. When making cullet for use inthe glass batch, it is customary to first produce a body of molten glassin a tank or container and then, while flowing this glass from saidtank, cause it to rapidly cool and-break intorelatively small particlesknown as cullet. When making this cullet, the heat from the molten glassis of course lost and it is v an aim of the present lnventlon to avoldsuch heat loss as results from such a method. I To accomplish this aim,the molten glass .is not solidified orchanged into cullet and thensubsequently mixed with the raw materials fed into the furnace, butinstead, it is flowed in a molten state directly from the tank in whichit is produced into the melting tank of a suitable tank furnace, the rawmaterials being added thereto as it flows from, the one tank into theother tank. It will be evident that since'a relatively large percentageof cullet is used, a correspondingly large heat loss is encounteredincident to the cooling I of the molten glass which necessitates thesubsequent remelting thereof. Thus, by flowing the molten glass ormolten cullet, as it may be called, directly into a tank furnace fromthe tank in which it-is produced, this heat loss is obviated, and themelting capacity of the furnace correspondinglyincreased.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 5 designates a melting tankwithin'which is adapted to be produced a mass of molten s5 glass 6,'andwhich'glass may. be hereinafter jtermedmolten cullet. The glass batchingredients are preferably introduced into this I tank-through an opencompartment or dog house 7 and the melting thereof may be accomplishedby means of regenerators located at opposite sides of the said tank,the'fiames from said regenerators issuing thereinto alternately from oneside thereof andthen the other through one or any suitable number ofports 8. v e l Positioned at the opposite end of the tank 5 and spacedtherefrom is a tank-furnace including a melting tank 9 adapted forreceivuig the molten glass from tank 5, said tank s so 9 beingpreferably heated by regenerators 10 and provided at the end thereofadjacent tank with-an open compartment or dog house 11. Arranged betweenthe two tanks 5 5 and 9 is a closed heating compartment or chamber 12preferably heated by burners 13 arranged in close proximity thereto, theflames from said burners being adapted to pass through openings in theside, walls thereof.

Disposed within the heating compartment 12 is a trough 1 adapted forvconveying the molten glass from the tank 5 to tank 9. The molten glassis caused to flow into the trough 15 through an opening 15 in theadjacent end wall of tank 5, the said molten glass emptying into thedog. house 11 of tank 9. A vertically adjustable gate or shear cake 16may be provided for controlling the-opening 15 and the amount of moltenglass flowing into and through the trough 14. Also arranged within theheating compartment 12 and depending throughthe roof thereof is a batchreceiving hopper or the like 17 adapted for .intermittently orcontinuously receiving batch from a chute 18 and depositing it upon themoltenglass within the trough 14.

In carrying out the present invention, the batch which may include someraw materials and some cullet' or which may consist entirely of rawmaterials or entirely of 'cullet is first.

introduced into and melted within the tank 5 to form the mass of moltenglass or molten cullet 6. This molten glass is then caused to flowundera baflie wall 1 9 in said tank, through the opening 15 and trough 1 1into the tank 9, a suflicient quantity of glass making materials beingadded to the molten glass as it flows through the trough 14, the saidthrough the hopper 17. The added glass making materials or batch flowingwith the molten glass into the tank 9 will be melted therein after whichthe resultant molten glass will be caused to flow through a refiningchamber 20, cooling chamber 21 into a work' ing receptacle or draw pot22 from which it may be drawn away in sheet form as at 23 or-formed intoother glass articles as desired. t.

The batch added to the molten glass within the heating compartment 12may also include some raw materials and some cullet or it may consistentirely .of raw materials or "entirely of cullet, the kind of batchadded depending to a great extent upon the kind of batch introduced intothe tank-5, so that the desired percentages of raw materials and 'culletin the resultant molten glass may be obtained. The burners 13 not onlyserve to control the temperature of the molten glass within the trough14, but further serve to preheat the glass making materials or batchgravitating through the hopper 17. With such a furnace construction asdisclosed herein,

glass making materials being introduced it will be evident that thebatch willbe more quickly and thoroughly fused and amalganated beforethe resultant molten glass is per mitted to pass to the glass articleforming apparatus, also that the melting capacity of the furnace willbegreatly increased due to the elimination of heat losses.

It is to be understood that the form of the to be taken as thepreferredembodiment of the same, and that various changes in theshape,,size and arrangement of parts may be restored to withoutdeparting from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoinedclaims.

Claims: 1. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace construction comprising amelting tank within invention herewith shown and described is which amass of molten glass is produced, a

second melting tank in proximity. to the first tank, a restrictedpassage connecting the two tanks and throu h which the mdlten glass iscaused to flow from the first tank into the second tank, and means fordepositing additional glass making materials upon the molten glass as itflows through said restricted passage from the first tank to the secondtank. j

2. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace constru'ction comprising a meltingtank containing a mass of molten glass, a second melting tank inproximity to the first tank, means for conveying the molten glass fromthe first tank to the second tank in relatively thin stream form, andmeansfor mixing additional glass making materials with the stream ofmolten glass as it is conveyed from the first...

tank to the second tank.

3. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace construction comprising a tankcontaining a mass of molten glass, a second tank adjoining but-spacedfrom the first tank and adapted'to receive the molten glass therefrom, aheating compartment through which the molten glass flows from the firs-ttankto' the second tank, and means for adding additional glass makingmaterials to the molten glass as it flows through said heatingcompartment from the first tank to the second tank.

4. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace construction comprising a meltingtank within which a mass of molten glass is produced, a second meltingtank adjoined in spaced relationship to said first tank, a heatingcompartment arranged between said tanks, means for conveying the moltenglass from the first tank through the heating compartment and depositingit in the second tank, and means for adding additional glass makingmaterials to the molten glass as it is conveyed through said heatingcompartment.

struction comprising a melting tank within which a mass of molten glassis produced, a

second melting tank adjoined in spaced r e- I 1,759,2as

;for causing the molten glass to flow from the first tank through theheating compart ment to the second tank, and means within said heatingcompartment for depositing additional glass making materials upon themolten glass asit flows therethrough.

6. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace construction comprising a tankcontaining a mass of molten glass, a second tank adjoining but spacedfrom the first tank and adapted to receive the molten glass therefrom, a

heatingcompartment between said tanks through which the molten glasspasses as it flows from the first tank to the second tank, means foradding additional batch to the molten glass asit flows from the one tankto the other-tank, and means for controlling the temperature of theheating Compartment and for preheating the batch being added tothemolten glass.

7. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace construction comprising a meltingtank Within which a mass of molten glass is produced, a second meltingtank adjoined in spaced relationship to said first tank, a heatingcompartment arranged between said tanks, a trougharranged in saidheating compartment through which the molten glass is caused-to flowfrom the first tank to the second tank, and a hopper also within said 5%heating compartment for receiving addi tional batch and depositing itupon the glass withinisaid trough. I

8. In glass apparatus, a tank furnace c6n-' struction comprising a tankcontaining a mass'of molten glass, a second tank adjoiningbut spaced.from the first tank and adapted to receive the molten glass therefrom, aheating compartment arranged-between said tanks and through which themolten glass passes as it flows from the first tank to the second tank,means for adding additional batch to the, molten glass molten-glass asthe glass flows from the first materials as it passes fromthe first poolto the second pool, preheating the additional glass making materialsprior to their addition to the molten glass, and then heating the secondpool of glass to melt the added glass making materials.

12. The process of producing molten glass which consists in establishinga confined pool ofmolten glass, causing the glass to fiow from this poolthrough a heating zone to a second pool, and adding additional glassmaking materials to the molten passes through said heated zone;

13. The process of producing molten glass which consists in establishinga confined pool of molten glass, causing the glass to fiow from thispool through a restricted passage in'relatively thin stream form to asecond pool, adding additional glass making materials to the stream ofmolten glass as the said glass passes pool of glass to melt the addedglass making materials, and then refining and cooling the lass.

Signed at Toledo, in the county of Lucas and State of Ohio, this 21stday of July, 1927 J OHN' L. .DRAKE.

as it flows through said heating compartment from the first tank to thesecond tank,

and a refining chamber, a cooling chamber and a working receptacleassociated with said second tank for receiving the molten glasstherefrom. I

9. The process of producing molten glass which consists in establishinga confined pool of molten glass, causing the glass to flow from thispool to a second pool through a restricted passage, and in addingadditional glass making materials to the molten glass as it passesthrough the restricted passage from the first pool to the second pool.

10. The :process of producing molten glass which consists inestablishing a confined pool of molten glass, causing the glass to flowfrom this poolinto a second pool in relative- 1y thin stream form, andin adding additional glass making materials to the stream of.

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